Valuable matter recovery method

Abstract

A method for recovering a valuable substance is provided. The method includes: a thermal treatment step of thermally treating a target containing a valuable substance while supporting a target storing unit, in which the target is stored, by a supporting unit that can support the target storing unit, wherein the thermally treating includes heating a gas present in a region, in which the supporting unit is positioned, by a flame for thermally treating the target such that the target storing unit is not contacted by the flame; and a valuable substance recovering step of recovering the valuable substance from a thermally treated product of the target obtained in the thermal treatment step.

1 . A method for recovering a valuable substance, the method comprising:
 thermally treating a target containing a valuable substance while supporting a target storing unit, in which the target is stored, by a supporting unit that can support the target storing unit, wherein the thermally treating includes heating a gas present in a region, in which the supporting unit is positioned, by a flame for thermally treating the target such that the target storing unit is not contacted by the flame; and   recovering the valuable substance from a thermally treated product of the target obtained in the thermally treating.   
     
     
         2 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein in the thermally treating, a flame radiating unit provided on the supporting unit and configured to radiate the flame thermally treats the target.   
     
     
         3 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein in the thermally treating, the flame radiating unit thermally treats the target by radiating the flame in an approximately horizontal direction.   
     
     
         4 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the flame radiating unit has a tubular member that is configured to radiate the flame and at least one end of which is open, and   the flame radiating unit radiates the flame such that the flame does not go outside the tubular member.   
     
     
         5 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein in the thermally treating, a plurality of flame radiating units, each of which is the flame radiating unit, thermally treat the target by heating the gas.   
     
     
         6 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the target storing unit is placeable on the supporting unit, and   the thermally treating is performed while the target storing unit is placed on the supporting unit.   
     
     
         7 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the target storing unit is formed of iron or stainless steel.   
     
     
         8 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein in the thermally treating, the target is thermally treated at 750° C. or higher and lower than 1,085° C.   
     
     
         9 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the target is a lithium ion secondary battery.   
     
     
         10 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the lithium ion secondary battery has a housing containing aluminum, and   in the thermally treating, the aluminum of the housing of the lithium ion secondary battery is melted and a melted product is separated.   
     
     
         11 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the valuable substance contains copper.   
     
     
         12 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein in the thermally treating, a combustion state of the lithium ion secondary battery is observed to judge whether combustion of the lithium ion secondary battery has finished or not, and   when it is judged that combustion of the lithium ion secondary battery has finished, the thermally treating is terminated.   
     
     
         13 . The method for recovering a valuable substance according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the recovering the valuable substance includes:
 pulverizing the thermally treated product, to obtain a pulverized product; 
 classifying the pulverized product at a classification point of 0.6 mm or greater and 2.4 mm or less, to obtain a coarse-grained product and a fine-grained product; and 
 sorting the coarse-grained product using a magnet having a magnetic flux density of 0.03 tesla or higher.